Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Vena varicosa
Varicose vein (VA-rih-kose VAYN)
A condition in which a vein, most often in the legs, becomes permanently enlarged, twisted, and painful. This may be caused by valves in the vein that don’t work properly or by weakness in the vein walls.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.